Notre Dame rises from the ashes in behind-the-scenes photos

On December 7, Notre Dame de Paris is scheduled to reopen following a five-year-long restoration. On April 15, 2019, a fire nearly toppled the 861-year-old French cathedral. Since then, an elite squadron of historians, architects, engineers, art restoration experts, and more have undertaken the painstaking work of fixing what historian Jacques Hillairet called la maison du peuple, or the house of the people.

Some medieval methods have been used on the structure, which is believed to be the first Gothic-style cathedral that used iron for binding sections of stonework together.

Paris-based National Geographic photographer Tomas van Houtryve took a series of images of the painstaking work that went into restoring the iconic landmark. They are featured in the magazine’s December 2024 issue and some are in the image gallery below.

A PROTECTIVE GAZE: High atop the bell towers, many of the beloved grotesques added by 19th-century restorer Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc overlook the city. The one in the foreground is known as Le Stryge. Notre Dame features both grotesques, which are decorative, and gargoyles, which double as rainspouts. Masons took damaged gargoyles down to be repaired, setting some alongside newly sculpted replicas, which are shown here, waiting to be hoisted into place. Photo by Tomas van Houtryve for National Geographic

AN ICON REBORN: After a devastating fire ravaged the centuries-old Notre Dame Cathedral, a monumental task for those rebuilding the sacred structure was to blend the styles and innovations of three eras of construction—medieval, 19th century, and today—into one. Here’s how they did it. (Photo by Tomas van Houtryve for National Geographic) — AN ICON REBORN: After a devastating fire ravaged the centuries-old Notre Dame Cathedral, a monumental task for those rebuilding the sacred structure was to blend the styles and innovations of three eras of construction—medieval, 19th century, and today—into one. Here’s how they did it. Photo by Tomas van Houtryve for National Geographic

HALLOWED INTERIORS: Notre Dame’s nave, seen here from the organ balcony at the west front, is cleaner and brighter than anyone alive has seen it before, thanks to a latex application that peeled away the soot and lead. “People won’t recognize it,” said Marie-Hélène Didier, a conservator who monitors the restoration for the culture ministry. (Photo by Tomas van Houtryve for National Geographic) — HALLOWED INTERIORS: Notre Dame’s nave, seen here from the organ balcony at the west front, is cleaner and brighter than anyone alive has seen it before, thanks to a latex application that peeled away the soot and lead. “People won’t recognize it,” said Marie-Hélène Didier, a conservator who monitors the restoration for the culture ministry. Photo by Tomas van Houtryve for National Geographic

A series of celebratory masses are planned over the next six months, including one dedicated to the firefighters and workers who resurrected the Gothic catherdral. The first mass following the fire was held in June 2019 and also honored those who jumped in to save the piece of history.

Following the reopening, construction on Notre Dame’s exterior will continue. Paris is investing roughly $54 million to create about 20,000 square feet of green space in a pedestrian-friendly zone outside of the cathedral. For more photos, visit National Geographic.